Cherry Poppin? Daddies? latest effort showcases a CD with varied sounds.

Known for their combination of swing rhythms, rock guitar sound and ska beats, the Daddies have introduced more music genres, like rhythm and blues, folk and Caribbean into the mix. Overall, the diversity made for a nice big buffet of tunes.

For those with a knack for bands with one sound, they will be pushed by this musical assortment. Hopping from swing to ska to soul is a weird feeling. It’s as if somebody switched radio stations after every song. The one thing in common are the lyrics, which all come off as depressing and down. But, there is a nice big band sound to express this big funk colorfully.

Their first song, “Diamond Light Boogie”, starts off like a glam rock song.

“Swinging with Tiger Woods (The Big Swing),” takes us back to the Daddies’ swing roots. The song puts play on words and at the same time makes a tribute to the golf star. “God is a Spider,” is a bitter song about a man disgruntled with religion and plagued with maladies, with a not-so-great outlook on life, hoping to end it all with final mistakes. “Stay (Don?t You Stay)” is a like a 50?s Motown song, reminding me of Jackie Wilson?s “Lonely Teardrops.” Next is the more folk sounding “Grand Mal”, singing about aimlessness and autumn depression.

The acoustic guitars and synthesized accompaniment have hints of the REM sound to it. “Soul Cadillac” begins with a slow ska brass-intro, hopping into a Caribbean beat tune about yet another crappy car.

It seems Steve Perry has a deep reservation about the outlook on life and relationships this time around, and yearns for stability or more exciting times.

One solution he offers is to join him for booze. He says “Irish Whiskey,” his drink of choice, will drown those sorrows right out. This Irish bar song breaks out into a rock beat, suggesting a nice bar fight to go along with his frustrations.

“So Long Toots” gets the listener into the swing mode once again. Get back on the dance floor with your partner and sing about ditching her for Chicago to start the New Year. “My Mistake” has a sort of a Motown-like, Stevie Wonder approach.

Once again, the lyrics sing about lame relationships and loneliness, repeating the word ?mistake,? found earlier in “God is a Spider.”. “End of the Night” switches back around to a ska beat, and is perhaps the most positive song on the album. “Bleeding Ceremony” has an intro and guitar parts reminiscent of an Aerosmith song, minus Tyler?s screams. Almost as positive as the direction “Uncle Ray” is taking, a path to the afterworld away from a life of liver disease, a cheating wife, and other hells on earth. Queuing in with a bluesy sax intro, the finale “Saddest Thing I Know,” ends the collection of morose tunes with another story about a bitter, lonely man dealing with troubled relationships and wishing for something better.

If you are a sad, down person who still wants the occasional swing high, then this CD is right for you. If you are a previous fan of Cherry Poppin? Daddies, then that is also another reason to get this CD. Personally, this CD was a little too varied for my tastes.

However, The Daddies put out a great record that pushed the limits of their swing based band.